Extinguished Flame
by ImagineTheWorldWicked
Summary: Ever since that fateful day of the Agni Kai with Azula, Zuko's ties with her have been lost. Through energybending, Aang accidentally transports Zuko to our modern world. Is this just a coincident, or is it more than that? UP FOR ADOPTION!
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar, the characters, etc.

**Author's Note: This idea wouldn't leave me for weeks, so I decided to write it down, plus Zuko is my fave character hands-down. Finally I had time to start it, and I appreciate ImaginetheWorld96 (who will be adding NAN's (non-author's notes) along with my AN's for whatever reason. What that reason is, I don't know) for posting this for me. Hope you enjoy it, and please R&R: compliments, flames, suggestions are all accepted. This is my first fanfic, so any comment helps. I tried to put as much as I could possible – adventure, romance, drama, action, revenge, badass bending, deep OC's, and even some humor (which I suck at, thank you very much). Thanks!**

**Non-Author's Note: Okay, so I thank my close friend for mentioning me above. Second (as previously mentioned), I sadly did not write this fantabulous (and yes, I did just type the word fantabulous) story. All of that work is done by my amazing, spectacular friend (who shall remain anomomous) who I will now call Ano (which stands for, if you haven't already guessed, anonomous (which is hopefully spelled correctly). To those of you who don't get my joke - too bad.). So, let's get this show on the road. And yes, I will do this every chapter along with Ano's AN's. So, get used to it. And on with the story you have decided to read!**

Prologue

In the distance, you could see a girl's figure sprinting at an astounding speed despite her small frame, with a cloak billowing wildly behind her. The only trait you could spot in the dim light of street lamps was her jet-black hair, so black that it almost appeared blue. It hung in a loose ponytail, strands hanging messily in the front, though she did not seem to mind. She kept dashing through the narrow alleyways, making sharp lefts and rights every so often, her tattered Adidas lightly touching the ground before coming back up for another stride forward. She splashed in several muddy puddles; it had been thundering and pouring earlier. How much earlier, we do not know. The clouds hung low and layered, threatening to precipitate once again. The air was thick and humid, almost dense, as if trying to stop the running girl. But she did not stop.

And suddenly, she stopped. The girl stood under a flickering street lamp, not even panting slightly. From the pitiful light we can see that she had a sun-tanned complexion and a lean physique, but she was fit. Very, very fit. Her cheeks were rosy, her nose was fine, and her lips were moist. She was pretty, undoubtedly attractive. Her hazel eyes, though, blazed with such bitterness and resentment that no one dared approach her.

This girl, a teenager of 16 or 17 years old, needed to get to what her grandfather called "home." To her, that was hell. Climbing the stairs would be to slow to get to the third floor apartment. So the girl, as quickly as she had stopped, began tearing across the alleyway, increasing her pace with each passing second. Then, clenching her fists, she propelled herself upward using deep blue-purple flames and leaped from one wall to another, zig-zagging nimbly and gaining speed until she almost paused on the wall again, facing her grandfather's balcony.

She collected all her strength and leapt toward it, flipping twice through the air effortlessly before landing with a soft _thud_. Immediately afterward she knelt before her grandfather.

"Executed flawlessly, I presume?" her grandfather said in a deadpan voice. He sat cross-legged, back facing her, meditating. As he inhaled, the candle flames around him flared, and with each exhale, they shrank back. The teenager did not reply.

"You're late. Your curfew was four and a half hours ago, at eleven," he continued, his tone lightening somewhat, as if chatting about the weather (which, ironically, had been stormy and growing increasingly worse over days).

"Coming late at a time like this?" snorted she, matching his tone. "You should know better, grandfather." The elder man did not even open his eyes as he continued to meditate.

"What is so important that you dare disturb me in my meditation? The spirits have not spoken yet," he chided, more grave now. _Pesky girl,_ thought the man.

"Grandfather, with all due respect, they have." The teenager trembled slightly, recalling their fury when she contacted them again. They told her to wait – and she didn't – so when she asked (more like demanded) to know whether _he_ was coming, the spirits finally (and irritably) informed her yes, then blew her out with a wind and hurricane so strong that she flew over several blocks before gravity pulled her down, sopping wet and battered.

"How? Strange that they have spoken to you first," he said, talking more to himself than she. "Afraid," he inquired, "are you?" Again, she did not respond. "You should be," he added after a long, unnerving silence.

Slowly, he arose and strolled to where she was kneeling with unmatched grace throughout the whole town. His crimson silk robe flowed elegantly as he moved toward her. His facial features were regal, with a square jaw, upturned nose, taut lips, and gray hair that was pinned up tidily. His thick beard hung down to his chest, and his eyes – oh, his eyes – were almost golden. They smoldered with such ferocity that it would make the bravest man in the world buckle below him.

"I, as the rightful heir of Sazuke and speaker of the almighty spirit Agni, grant you permission to pursue and kill the one who needs to be avenged for our family. Do you promise to uphold and accept this responsibility and succeed no matter what the consequences?"

Without hesitating the slightest, the younger Sazuke answered, "I do."

"And will you, with honor, recognize the penalty for not completing this task?"

"I will."

Then after another uncomfortable silence, he nodded. "You may begin whenever you please; I cannot interfere, and you must guide yourself into fulfilling your duty. Use whatever needed."

"Then, grandfather, I will get a good night's rest and plan tomorrow, for a fresh mind and healthy body cannot hurt."

"I will not intervene," he concluded, and resumed meditating.

Oh, the joy! Finally, seventeen years of sweat, grit, pain, and blood finally paid off. As she walked to her room, there was an extra bounce to her step, a more brisk manner, and a more confident air around her. She was the youngest ever to be assigned a task this critical, and young Sazuke would _not_ fail. No, she _certainly_ would _not_. Flames danced about her fingertips as she rounded the corner and flopped gracelessly onto her bed. Within seconds she was sound asleep, dreaming about her soon-to-be success.

In the deepest realm of the Spirit World lay a sealed stone gate, impenetrable by all. Two pillars stood threateningly on the side, and the top was a simple semicircle. Strange, elaborate symbols were carved into the stone, but they had been eroded and chipped off. One larger symbol at the top center of it began to glow. Growing brighter and more dazzling by the second, it finally gave off immense energy that no mortal could bear.

At one time, before element bending, this gate was usable. How, you ask. That we do not know. But eras slipped by quietly, and it gradually sealed, layer by layer. It was soon forgotten and pushed to the very backs of the minds of spirits. Only one remembered it and kept a watchful eye on it. And that day, he noticed not only the glowing, but that the stone gate's impassable wall started to just…fade. At first, mere flickers, perhaps two or three per day. Yet it became more frequent until the barrier simply disappeared…

**AN: Like it? Hate it? K, so it's just the prologue. Don't worry, the chapters will be longer. PLEASE comment, it makes me a better writer and fuels me to write more. Oh, and a note in advance: I'm extremely irregular in completing each chapter. Sometimes it will be a matter of days; others will be months. Yep, I know, totally OC chapter (well, prologue), but it's important. =] Gracias, mis amigos.**

**NAN: So, yeah. I think Ano pretty much covered it all. I mysefl have been waiting for this prologue since March. Just an example of Ano's irregular-ness. Remember to R&R!**


	2. Chapter 1 The War Meeting, Part 1

Chapter 1

The War Meeting, Part One

**Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: the Last Airbender (choked sob). I wish I did though. Otherwise it would have had 20 more seasons. And the movie would actually match the anime (wait…cartoon? I dunno.). **

**NAN (on disclaimer): I don't own Avatar either, but if I did, the Cabbage man would appear bunches of more times, Mo-mo would talk, Appa would eat the Firelord, [insert stuff that Ano said in the Disclaimer above], and I would be an Avatar character.**

**AN: Here it is, Chapter 1; it took a little longer than I expected to finish, mainly because I've been lazy =P Plus I've been getting TONS of emails from my friends since they basically have nothing to do this summer. Especially our wonderful ImaginetheWorld96. I reply, and two minutes later, her reply is sitting in my inbox, waiting to be read. Oh, and before I forget, since I have no profile, I'm just going to tell you about me in these AN's, bit by bit, chapter by chapter. K? K. So, the basics: I am female, 13 years old (going into eighth grade), and I am ASIAN! Boo-ya! Chinese, to be exact, but I absolutely **_**despise **_**people who assume all Oriental Asians are Chinese, because there are plenty of Japanese, Koreans, Taiwanese, and Southeast Asians (Cambodian, Thai, Vietnamese, etc.) out there. And Indian is Asian, not 'Brown' or any of that type. Some people are just SO stereotypical [mutters angrily]. Anyways, gonna hand this over to the NAN. Thanks again for posting it!**

**NAN: No problem, Ano. So, if you all will notice, I have changed my penname from ImagineTheWorld96 to ImagineTheWorldWicked due to the fact that I like it better and it contains no numbers (they annoy me). Ano, unfortunately, did not know this simple fact due to the fact that she didn't ask me. And I neglect the above statement that says I have nothing better to do this summer. Ano and I are just online at the same time and I respond hoping she will do the same. She is VERY mean about it. She'll hold it against me forever, so now I will something I know she hates. I will call her (duh, Duh, DUH!) Captain Von **_**BEEEEEEEEEP**_**. (No, that's not a curse, that just says her last name, although I must admit, it makes it funnier.) Now, I do believe I'm starting to ramble, so I'm going to go on with the story…**

Aang's arms extended and encircled him, with crackling sparks of a harsh blue-white energy trailing his two outstretched fingers. Aang's eyebrows furrowed together and sweat beads began to form on his forehead and neck. He brought his two hands inward, the positive and negative energies swirling around, trying to connect, and suddenly he released them, creating a fairly pathetic streak of lightning. He peered back sheepishly at his firebending master.

"Listen, Zuko, I- "

"I already know you're sorry. I want to know when you will stop feeling sorry and actually create the damn lightning."

"I'm trying, really, but it's not working out for me," he responded innocently, his stormy gray eyes pleading. Zuko had never seen Aang struggle so much with firebending. It was as if he were confronting earth a second time.

"Zuko, shouldn't Aang take a break? You're pushing him to hard," Katara scolded, entering the stone courtyard. She was as gorgeous as ever; her dazzling, deep blue eyes sparkled like the ocean itself. The water tribe girl was wearing her traditional garb, but with low-heeled sandals, as it was unusually hot for early October. Out of the corner of his eye Zuko could see Aang smiling faintly accompanied by a slowly reddening blush, and they started making what the toddlers would call, "goo-goo eyes." The silence grew longer until finally Zuko cleared his throat a bit too loudly and forcefully.

"What?" The pair asked irritably in unison, glaring icily at Zuko.

"Aang and I have to keep going on with our lesson. He's not a master firebender yet," Zuko said, meeting their annoyed looks.

"That's the point. Aang is stressed enough as it already is with all the meetings and councils. He's tired from last night's assembly." Zuko winced, recalling the not-so-pleasant outbursts of generals not only from the Fire Nation, but Earth Kingdom and Water Tribes as well. After going well past midnight nothing had been accomplished, the room's atmosphere was tense and everyone was beyond fury. And somehow all the representatives from the other nations managed to shift the blame on him and the Avatar ("Production dropped 15% because you decided to visit your uncle in Ba Sing Se! And then the Avatar decided to freeze himself in a block of ice for a hundred years and not take care of the Earth Kingdom!"). "Then," Katara continued, "you expect him to create lightning after what, three hours of sleep and more meetings today? I think not!" She placed emphasis on the last sentence, feeling confident that she proved her point.

The young Fire Lord knew she was right but was not going to lose this argument. "I got the same amount of sleep and I have to go to all those meetings, too! And I can produce lightning just fine. Aang is the _Avatar_, for crying out loud. He needs to master lightning to become a true master of firebending, and a little lack of sleep will not stop me or him!"

"He's 13! Plus he hasn't even been through a year of training with you. How can you expect him to get it right away? I'm not asking him to learn healing and he's doing remarkably in waterbending!"

"That's different! Only female waterbenders are able to do that, and you know it! But lightning is available to those who seek to master it, and I bet Aang wants to."

"Really? Let's ask him, shall we?"

Aang glanced up with puppy-dog eyes and whimpered. His sort-of girlfriend and firebending teacher were staring at him intensely, both their faces a bright cherry color. He found himself shrinking into a ball under their irate gazes.

"_Well_?" Katara demanded impatiently.

"I don't know," he squeaked out, his fingers fidgeting anxiously.

"There you have it Zuko, I'm taking Aang back and letting him rest."

But before she could take a step forward, a massive wall of fire appeared out of the blue, nearly engulfing the two. Katara's face grew even redder (if possible), and she bended water out of a nearby pool of water to quench the raging flames. And just as quickly as before, another blazing barrier stopped the couple in their tracks.

"I'd like my pupil back," seethed Zuko, plumes of smoke escaping his clenched teeth and roiling in the balmy autumn air.

"You…will not…exceed…Aang's…limit," she spat, unleashing a giant wave unto him. With a deft motion, she swiftly encased Zuko in a block of ice. Her eyes shone with victory for several seconds, nearly melting Aang's heart. However her frenzy clouded her judgment, as Zuko was first, a firebender and could melt the ice easily, and second, a very good one at that. So with that in mind, we can imagine how that will result.

So within seconds Zuko was out again and punching fireballs at our young waterbender, who moved gracefully and blocked them, creating steam. Aang, though, would not let this continue while the two nearly engaged in deadly combat, and sent a powerful gale out from the center of his staff, knocking them back a few meters.

"That's enough! We won't deal with this violently; we've already trained plenty today. Zuko, if I perform well on the next attempt on lightning, may I leave with Katara?"

"Spoken like a true Avatar," Katara mumbled under her breath.

Zuko sighed and tightened his fists, slowly exhaling, and nodded once. "Agreed. Okay, let's try this one more time. Remember that the farther you pull the positive and negative energies apart, the larger the clash, resulting in stronger lightning."

Aang had heard these words a thousand times, memorized them, and even muttered them in his sleep from time to time (according to Sokka, which aroused suspicions. Sokka then went on to protest that Aang fell asleep from time to time in the duller meetings, and that he "overheard" him say that.). The airbender's two fingers slowly encircled him in a graceful but lethal form, sparks tracing. His eyebrows knitted together and beads of sweat formed on his forehead. Zuko could feel the energies; Aang still hadn't brought them far enough. Then, in a sudden move, Aang released the lightning, grinning triumphantly. The streak went out farther, with crackling strength and deadly accuracy. It still did not satisfy Zuko, but it was improvement from before.

"That was the best one I've seen. Ever."

"Thank you, Sifu Zuko," replied Aang respectfully, bowing.

"Do it again."

"No, Aang's done," Katara butted in, and dragged Aang away by the collar. Zuko had no choice but to follow them to the next courtyard where Suki was training Sokka. Or so they declared.

The newly engaged pair were relaxing lazily on the stone steps after an hour of 'sparring,' sipping watermelon juice out of the same glass. Surrounding them were trays of leftovers, from half-eaten meat buns to cherry-lemon custards, mostly gobbled down by Sokka's monster appetite. Now they were just gazing into the azure, endless skies, pointing out funny-shaped clouds and giggling at the smallest things.

"That one, Suki. It looks like a teacup. Oh, what would Iroh do?"

She smiled sweetly and replied, "I bet he would try to drink the ginseng tea from it."

"Nah. It's more like rainwater than tea." With that he snatched a half-full glass of water at his side and dumped it on Suki before she could even react. He grinned broadly as Suki gawked at her dripping clothes, full of disbelief. But what Sokka did not expect was a blow from his fiancé that was bigger and better than his. Covered in sweet and sour sauce with a chicken drumstick sliding down his lower leg, Sokka leapt for the untouched apple-cinnamon pie and threw it hard at her. He hit her point-blank, and if the pie weren't all over her face, we would have seen Suki's shock and dismay. Then a mischievous smile spread across her face as she seized a platter of sautéed fish with a bowl of noodles and hurled them at Sokka, who was feeling rather cocky after that pie throw. A second later, he was covered in fish and noodles and was groping blindly for some ammo.

Meanwhile Zuko, Katara, and Aang were watching the food fight unravel before their eyes. Aang's mouth hung agape, and Katara was glowering disapprovingly. Zuko just watched, slightly bemused at their immature antics. Still the couple did not notice the trio standing 20 feet away.

Suki barely avoided several dumplings as she picked large chunks of pie off her clothes and tossed them wildly behind her, hoping one would hit Sokka. One managed to land in his warrior's wolf tail, which caused him to go nearly berserk as he launched another plate of sodden vegetables at Suki, followed by several fruit tarts.

"Agh! Did you have to throw those veggies? It's all over me!"

"Yes, yes I-." Sokka was cut off by those very vegetables that landed in his mouth, almost choking him. Suki beamed delightfully and flipped hastily next to Sokka, trying to land next to him and force another sweet treat into his face. Unfortunate for her, the sauce dripping from the Water Tribe boy slipped her, causing her arms to flail madly. The gyrating arm smacked into his gut and brought him down right on top of her with a little "oof" from both of them.

"You okay?" Sokka dared to ask. Suki glanced at him playfully and pushed her dish of desserts into his face.

"You little bitch." And a second later he crashed into her lips passionately, and Suki welcomingly obliged to this. For a moment they were entranced with each other until they felt a shadow looming over them.

"You are _so_ cleaning this up, starting _now_," hissed Katara.

"Why can't the servants take care of this? Isn't that what they're for?" complained Sokka for the thousandth time. Mopping was making his back cramp and some food just _refused_ to clean themselves off the steps. Suki wasn't having such a great time, either. She was busy scraping off chunks of goop at the base of the steps.

"Nope. All this 'hero' stuff has really gone to your head, huh? Do you remember all those chores back at home? Oh wait, you don't! You were too busy playing soldier, leaving me with all your dirty stuff! I had to cook, clean, do a hundred times more than what you're doing now!" she raved.

The water tribe boy grit his teeth and scrubbed his way through her "I do everything" lecture. It wasn't her fault though. Girls were supposed to do that, and he, a _man_, had to train as the only defender of the Southern Water Tribe. He certainly wasn't playing soldier!

"Sokka, are you listening to me? I did everything useful! The Fire Nation attacked us once, took the _real_ warriors – not that you aren't one – and when Zuko came, he beat you easily!"

Sokka couldn't stand this banter anymore, especially that last sentence. "I am a real warrior, and you know it! Besides, my fighting's better! Isn't that right, Suki?"

"Uh, yeah. Definitely."

"See?"

"I see your fiancé isn't very supportive of you," Katara stated, smirking.

"She is too!"

"Sokka, I'm not playing the 'is too, is not' game with you. Just…focus on your cleaning." She waved her hand away and strided away purposefully.

An hour or so later they were (finally!) done. Sokka was swearing under his breath but managed to grin weakly after finishing. Man, doing girl work was _hard_. Almost as hard as warrior training. Zuko and Aang were off preparing for the next war meeting while Katara was doing…something. Since he was to be the next Southern Water Tribe chieftain, it was required that he attended these meetings, unfortunately. Honestly, how did Zuko manage to keep a cool head during them most of the time? It was still a mystery to him.

The Fire Lord and the Avatar returned shortly with an extra change of clothes for Sokka. He was grateful but still frustrated about all the 'girl work' he had done. Zuko and Aang waited passively until Sokka stumbled into the courtyard, grumbling something incomprehensibly.

"Zuko, I think these pants are too small! I can't zip them!" Sokka cried. "And don't you dare say it was because of my feast today. I burned that off by cleaning up this courtyard."

Sokka could have sworn the two were smirking mischievously, but he was too busy trying to zip the damned pants up. Finally he did it, and he felt it would burst any second with his roundish belly protruding out from it.

An hour later, in the war meeting room, the accursed pants snapped. His eyes bulged and looked down fearfully. The zipper was just…gone. He excused himself hastily, and, pulling his pants up, shuffled to the nearest bathroom. Katara took a fleeting look at Sokka's awkward little hobble and glanced at Aang, who seemed to not notice his strange behavior the slightest.

"Come on, there has to be something here," Sokka mumbled, fumbling through random garments.

"Too big. Too small. Too stretchy. Too dirty. Argh!" He sat down on the floor, aggravated. Then something on the top shelf of the bathroom caught his eye. Those pants were almost the same. _Perfect_.

On his very tippy-toes, his fingertips were only inches away from them. There was nothing he could stand on to reach them; he would have to jump.

Bad idea.

The good news was that he got his much-needed pants. The bad news was that the shelf came crashing down, nearly taking his head off and causing clutter that he couldn't clean up. Especially after doing more than an hour of girl work.

"Crap." The pants were a perfect fit, but the bathroom in this disorder was not going to be turning out well. He exited hurriedly and ducked down his head. Luckily no one was in the hall. He attempted a manly, confident stride, but his knees were jelly as he entered the war room.

He took his seat; although no one was staring at him, Sokka could have sworn that Katara was making that _look_. He sat up straighter and tried not to doze off as some general droned on interminably.

**AN: You know how NAN said that she was waiting for this since March? She meant April *glare*. I told her at the very end of March, and she couldn't expect it RIGHT away. Besides...i'm lazy =P and i get discouraged by other fanfics. they seem so amazing and spectacular and excellent and marvelous and wonderful next to my puny little writings. always OOC and lacking the thrill i want them to have. but i did enjoy writing this one. all my little whims and crazy thoughts were put in here - especially with Sokka's pants problem. :) it's so easy to imagine.**

**NAN: Well, March is March, Ano. And I did enjoy the comic relief that Sokka provided for all. And Ano, if ALL of your crazy thoughts were put into this, it might've exploded. I could think of one more thing to go wrong: When Sokka enters the war room, he trips and pulls down all the curtains or maps, causing everything to fall and making an absolute fool of himself. THAT is crazy, but doesn't make much sense. So, if I'm thinking she put all of the crazy ideas that made sense, Ano is right, I am wrong. For once. Oh, and for no reason, can I just say that ****The Old Man and the Sea**** is a really boring book? I started it in June and still haven't finished it yet. I don't think I ever will. Oh, well. R and R please. It helps get Ano to write better and boosts her confidence about her GOOD writing. So, yeah. Bi-bi!**


	3. Chapter 2 The War Meeting Part 2

Chapter 2

The War Meeting, Part Two

**Disclaimer: Do I have to go through this garbage? Honestly, you know the drill. I don't own anything, blah, blah, blah, except for my OCs. Which are going to pop up soon enough.**

**AN: Me again. I know, I know, you missed me, my dear less-than-ten readers, but hey. At least I haven't given up. Yet. And ImaginetheWorldWicked neglected to tell **_**me**_** her new penname. Why in the name of Avatar would I have asked, honestly? And my new penname is Loca - crazy in Spanish, but it's less annoying than "Ano." And…hmmm…what should I tell you about me? Let's just say that I am a canon pairing fan – Kataang and Maiko all the way, but Sukka is only okay – I like Tokka better. I hate Zutara (gasp!) and Toko, but I am okay with some Taang. Even On Jaang is fine. And please, no slash crap. Zukaang and Jetko? Seriously. I know there's nothing wrong with being gay and all, but I still find it wrong. Well, now it's NAN's turn. I've been taking too long.**

**NAN: Yes, yes you have been taking too long. What is stated above is true. I DID neglect to tell Loca about my much needed username switch, but SHE DID ASK! *cough* Sorry. Lost my cool there for a second. And you all may be wondering why Loca didn't comment on my new username last week. Well, that is because when you my little messages, she reads them for the first time as well. There. Just thought I'd get that out of the way. Clear up any confusion. And something about updates as well. It may not be Loca's fault if updates are slow. It could be me, forgetting to put it up, seeing as I'm the one with the account. Anywho, you all know about me, and if you don't, you should. Kidding. Just click on the underlined blue link-y thing-y to read all about ME! Yes, me. Oh, and HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! Yes, you all read right. Two days ago (the 20****th**** of September) was my 14****th**** birthday. Loca and all the others sang (very loudly and slightly off-key) Happy Birthday to me with one of my close friends screaming "Cauliflower!" at the end. Wow. I just looked up at my written rant about endless nothings, and man is it long! Maybe I should just go to the story…yeah.**

Zuko seemed to be the only one who was actually staying awake during the meeting.

Sokka had been visibly sleeping for the past forty minutes, nonstop drool trickling out of his mouth. Katara, who decided to attend the meeting because she couldn't be away from her precious Aang, was fiddling with the water in her glass, bending it in a sort of sleepy trance. Aang was doing a bit better; he appeared vaguely awake, but he was most likely meditating with his eyes open. Zuko had no idea how he did it, but that faraway look in his eyes confirmed it. Even Mai, who stood diligently in the shadows in case of attack, was more bored than usual, twirling her knives, if that was possible.

Some guy was talking about withdrawing soldiers back to the Fire Nation, but Ozai loyalists who wanted him on the throne ambushed them along the way. Although Zuko would normally be worrying about them, for some odd reason, there was a knot in his stomach that concerned him most. _Dread_ was too strong a word to describe it, but he had a feeling something big would happen. Something…life-changing.

Suddenly Aang's eyes jerked awake, and the firebender met eyes with the airbender. By reading his face Zuko could tell that Aang had sensed someone was coming, someone who was not supposed to be at the meeting.

Seconds later sounds of a scuffle outside the door were heard. The guards kept him out easily, but the poor boy kept persisting on getting in the room. Aang let out a small gasp.

"He's carrying an important message," declared the Avatar. The generals stared at him, and Zuko was more than estranged. Was mind-reading another skill of his now? Nonetheless, he trusted Aang, and ordered the guards to let the mysterious person in. Zuko could faintly hear the sharp swish of unsheathing knives from Mai.

A boy stumbled into the meeting room in the most undignified fashion, his skinny legs trembling like a wolf-chicken gone wild. He couldn't have been older than ten, and his black hair was kept worse than a pig-bird's nest. Zuko found himself pitying the servant boy a little.

"Greetings…majesty…lord," he quivered. "I…I…"

"If you carry a message as the Avatar has said, then tell it." Zuko kept a perfect balance of tone in his voice; it was soft but firm, caring but stern, a skill that he had finally accomplished all these months of being Fire Lord.

The servant boy drew a shaky breath. "Ba Sing Se is undergoing its largest rebellion in decades. And…it's going against you," he stated simply, but he was still shuddering from fright.

Zuko leaned back and pursed his lips. Trying to keep his voice calm, he asked, "How big?"

"Erm…millions," he said slowly.

Panic was starting to rise in his chest. He knew the Earth Kingdom people still held a grudge, and he had begged for their forgiveness thousands of times. But millions of people still hated him like his father? He thought he had instilled a feeling of peace and unity amongst them after so many speeches.

"There's more." The servant boy seemed to grow a bit more confident now that the new Fire Lord hadn't burned him to ashes. "Their specific demand is about unemployment. Since you relocated all the factories back to the Fire Nation, production has dropped a lot. The Earth Kingdom peasants who worked there were given a sum of money, right? You wanted them to find a new job instead of going through hard factory labor with minimum wage. But finding one isn't easy. So they want jobs. And you don't have any to offer, so they're basically piss—mad. So they all gathered into one big city and started to revolt."

The Fire Lord oddly didn't feel the knot sitting in his stomach. He already understood that he'd have to go to calm another rebellion, just on a larger scale. What was actually on the forefront of his mind was Aang's mind-reading or whatever the hell that was. And he had a creeping suspicion that had something to do with the power that had drained his father's bending.

The rest of the meeting went by at an old turtle-snail's pace. He was relieved when it finally finished – sitting through it could make the most hyper man in the world fall asleep. After smiling and greeting his way through loyal nobles and officers, he found the airbender with Katara in a courtyard closed off to the public. Zuko sensed that this was something he wasn't supposed to see; subsequently, with the stealth of the famed Blue Spirit, he scaled to the rooftop and strained his ears.

"Katara, you trust me, right?"

"Of course." They gazed lovingly into each other's eyes, standing a foot apart, facing one another.

The Avatar leaned in closer, and right when Zuko thought he was going to _do_ it, Aang pressed his tattooed hands on the waterbender's forehead and chest. That was a peculiar gesture; kissing didn't require such an awkward pose, right? Both had their eyes closed, eyebrows knit together. Suddenly, Aang's arrows flickered a brilliant white several times. But was what more amazing was that the air around Katara seemed to hum and had a blue hue enveloping her. The flickering of the Avatar's eyes and arrows had grown into a constant, steady stream of blinding light, causing Zuko to shield his eyes. How long it lasted, seconds, minutes? It didn't matter, but when the Fire Lord glanced back at the scene, Katara was standing 30 feet away, appearing astonished and even more so, overjoyed.

"Aang, it worked! I can't believe it!" She ran over to him and pecked him ever so lightly on the cheek, bringing up a furious red blush from him.

"Okay, I think the technique's secure, now all I have to do is tell Zuko…" he trailed off. Aang heard a nearly inaudible _thump_ behind him; he turned back warily to face his firebending master and smiled sheepishly.

"How long has it been since you've been teleporting people?" Zuko kept his voice reasonably level. Wonderful, the Avatar could read minds and teleport people.

"It's the first time." Aang rubbed the back of his arrow and added, "It's energybending."

"Energybending," Zuko repeated vaguely, half-believing. "Isn't that what you used on my father?"

"You remember it was energybending?"

"Like it was yesterday, Aang. How could I forget?"

"Well Sokka sorta did…"

"He was drunk on cactus juice, remember?"

"Er…" The look on his face didn't exactly reassure Zuko.

"Enough talk. What the hell were you doing?"

A long, awkward silence passed between them before Aang began slowly. "Well, um, how do I put it? The lion-turtle gave me knowledge of energybending, and I'm trying to unlock its secrets. Sometimes it comes to me, like when I was battling Ozai, but most of the time I have to go deep into meditation and try to discover it. Transporting is one I've known for a few weeks, but I haven't really had time to get it and all, with you and lightning, Toph and metalbending, and Katara…you get the point."

"And your mind-reading stuff?"

"Huh? Oh yeah. One of the first techniques I discovered was sensing, you know, energy. Like when someone has an adrenaline rush, I can feel it. I recently found out that if I concentrate really hard, I can get fuzzy images or thoughts from people's minds. So when that boy was trying to get in, his energy level spiked, and I could tell one of his main thoughts."

"The message."

"Exactly."

"Why didn't you tell me this before?"

"I was…afraid of your reaction."

"Hm." It was a legitimate reason. "So why did you say you needed to tell me?"

"Ba Sing Se," Katara suddenly blurted out. "The rebellion. He wanted to transport you there so you could calm it down and get you back to the Fire Nation without ships bringing you. Even Appa would take several days to get there."

It made sense; in fact, Zuko couldn't think of any better plan. "So…" he proposed, "You're going to energybend me to Ba Sing Se and it'll be instant?"

"Yeah."

"Hard to believe. How can you get me back?" inquired the skeptical Fire Lord.

"Eh…I don't really know," professed the airbender. "But I noticed that the better I know someone, the farther out I can sense their energy. So I hope I can somehow sense it and transport you back when you need to. It's kinda risky but I think it's worth a shot."

Zuko became conscious that he was holding his breath and felt his lungs burn. He exhaled deeply before answering, "When?"

"I was hoping for tomorrow morning. You'll do your thing and I'll try to get you back to the Fire Nation a few days later, if that's fine."

The Fire Lord nodded once, and the knot in his stomach tightened. Part of him wasn't looking forward to the transportation, yet he trusted Aang with his life. He squashed that part of mistrust and, with a steely glint in his eye, agreed to the Avatar's plan.

"ZUKO! Come here _now_!" Mai nearly screeched. Oops. Some big public meeting had probably started several minutes ago. And leaving Mai, the soon-to-be Fire Lady, there wasn't the best idea.

"Gotta go." He did a hasty bow and excused himself, a bit relieved to escape energy magic mumbo-jumbo.

After another tedious days of meetings, councils, parties, plus one incident involving Sokka, food, a handful of attractive girls, and his space sword (only spirits know, thankfully), Fire Lord Zuko had made it to his bedroom in one piece. Tomorrow he was set for Ba Sing Se and sought a good night's rest in order to face the mobs of upset Earth Kingdom people. It was only ten o'clock, a time where he was usually sitting on the throne doing who-knows-what. He was sleepy and lethargic; but despite resting peacefully in his chambers, Zuko's head was plagued with worries, not just on Ozai loyalists and rebellions. However the swirling mass of questions and qualms all boiled down to one word, one name.

Azula.

She was not stripped of her firebending. Zuko couldn't bear to watch his once delicate, innocent younger sister be taken away what was (supposedly) most precious to her. Azula was born nice and sweet. There was no devious, twisted part of her until Ozai whisked her away to be personally trained by the oh, so amazing Fire Lord. Zuko was left behind in the dust as his tutors and Ursa did their best to instruct him, but that was nothing compared to private lessons with _Father_. What kind of father was he, using his children as pawns to worldwide domination, banishing his mother, destroying the bonds that used to tie Azula and he together? Zuko spat.

Within a month, the warm fire between Zuko and Azula had turned into ice, because of _Father_. Azula regarded him cruelly and always showed off her vastly superior skills, while Zuko stood there like a dope, tiny flames spurting out weakly while hers were strong and relentless. At first, Azula tried to teach him, but a more than strict lecture from Ozai completely terminated the small hope of the two reuniting.

But the soft spot for Azula continued. Although countless times she had hunted him down and nearly finished him, Zuko could not bring himself to stop her heart from beating. He should have at the Agni Kai, but no, he couldn't. Azula used to be fragile, harmless, and pure of heart. If only Ozai hadn't blackened her heart, turned it to coal.

Zuko always asked himself, Would Azula have killed me in the Agni Kai? Over and over again he firmly told himself, no, but a lingering, lone voice said the opposite. So many times Azula gave him murderous glares. So many times Zuko had fortunately escaped from her grasp. So many times Azula had been kind to Zuko. So many times had they played like regular, happy-go-lucky children. So many times had Zuko thought this but got nowhere.

Now Azula was locked up in a small bedroom, forced to be interviewed by the Fire Nation's best therapist, Wong. She had forgotten how to firebend, and Wong had said there was a slim hope of her regaining that ability. Her past was blown away into dust as they attempted to reeducate Azula, but it proved fruitless since the first day. Some days she was vicious and snarled at anyone who passed her room; other days she was completely peaceful and stared out her window, talking to herself about how poofy they were. No progress had been made for nearly a year. In fact, Zuko often thought that she had maybe backtracked. Still, hope remained. It was what Uncle had said, that there is always hope; for once, he actually understood one of his proverbs. And with that thought, Zuko fell into a deep sleep.

_The day was calm. Birds chirping, sun shining, perfect weather. It was too good to be true, but these rare days in the Fire Nation were widely appreciated. Young Zuko and Azula, six and four years old, sat underneath a peach tree, chatting and giggling as if they were _normal _children. Suddenly, Azula asked a question that Zuko didn't hesitate to answer._

"_Zuzu, do you love me?" It was such a simple question, yet Zuko did not question his feelings about her._

"_Of course I do, silly. I always will," he replied firmly, fully believing in his words._

_The scene warped to two or three years later, but it was dark, cloudy, and time for bed. Before heading to sleep, Zuko tracked down Azula and asked her a question that was dear to him._

"_Azula…do you love me?"_

_His younger sister stared at him weirdly, as if he were speaking another language. Then she snorted and replied. "No, Dum-dum."_

_It was as if Azula had climbed into his heart and ripped it in half. With a small "oh," Zuko headed to his room but couldn't catch a wink. Around one in the morning, rain had started pouring, followed by wicked streaks and cracks of lightning and the booming thunder. Zuko dug into his covers, trying to drown the sound out, but it was useless. Then a knock sounded at his door suddenly, making him nearly jump out of his bed._

"_What?" he asked wearily, not bothering to mask his annoyance._

"_ZuZu? Can I come in?" Without a reply, she slipped in. Her face was paler than a ghost, and she was shivering from fright. She sat down on the floor, and casting her eyes downward, Azula admitted, "I'm scared. But Father says that feelings aren't good. But I'm still scared." She started to sob softly, as if disappointing Father this way would cost her. After waiting an impossibly long time, she started to crawl towards him and climbed onto his bed. Zuko hugged her awkwardly and patted her on the back, but her sobbing grew even louder. It seemed ages until the thundering stopped and only a light drizzle came. Azula was still awake, her red eyes puffy but at least dry. She was feeling drowsy, but before she fell into a deep sleep, she murmured, "I love you."_

_Her chest was rising and falling slowly, signifying her sleep. Zuko leaned over and whispered, "I love you, too." He could have sworn she was smiling a bit after those words, but he too fell into an undisturbed rest._

_The scene changed into Zuko's third banishment year, where he was facing Azula somewhere. The background kept distorting and bending, and as the two were fighting, he could hear Azula's words and his own._

"_Do you love me?"_

"_Of course I do, silly. I always will."_

_Azula snarled and lunged at Zuko. She missed, but rolled over and released another blast of blue fire. Zuko heard those words again, and thought he heard his mother say, "I love both of you so, so much," but he wasn't sure. Then he heard his father say, "Love is foolish. It is for the weak. If you are strong, then rid of your emotions and do what is right for your nation!" Then he heard Iroh – _Iroh _– weeping over Lu Ten, but it was whisked away like the fierce, blowing wind. Zuko was so surprised that Azula kicked him squarely in the jaw, sending him tumbling into the ground. The princess leapt onto him with inhuman swiftness and pinned him down, smiling mirthlessly. She lit blue fire in her hand._

"_I should have finished you the first time, ZuZu. But Agni has given me another chance and I'm taking it. Good-bye, _brother_." She spat out 'brother' as if it were below dirt._

"_Let's make your face symmetric first." Zuko could feel the fire coming closer to his undamaged right eye. Not bothering to mask his fear, he resorted to the last hope._

"_Azula – I-I…"_

"_Spit out your last words already!"_

"_Azula, I love you." But he wasn't sure if he believed that._

_She was caught off-guard. Azula started to say her father's words coldly. "Love is foolish. It is for-" but stopped herself, as if she didn't have faith in those words. All of a sudden, she burst out weeping with blood-curling screams, blue fire never ceasing from her mouth. After an impossibly long time she crumpled to the ever shifting ground. When Azula finally calmed, she looked at him, wide-eyed and doubtful, and uttered in a small voice, "I—I love-"_

Zuko's eyes fluttered open. That was always where the dream stopped, and it taunted him to the brink of insanity. He could feel the sun's path coming to the east; it was about six in the morning. He wasn't going to leave for Ba Sing Se for three or four hours. The Fire Lord groaned.

He dressed himself and packed several changes of clothes into a knapsack bag, along with a portrait of Uncle and his mom, both smiling faintly. He hesitated and looked back to his dresser. Laying face down was a picture of young, four-year-old Azula, smiling innocently with no blazing hatred in her eyes. Zuko stared at it for a long time then gently placed it in his bag. He abruptly arose and exited quickly, as if impulse had taken him. Determined, he left through one of the palace's secret exit, a one he and Azula had accidentally discovered while playing tag. The passageway was old, but unused, and the walls smelled of mold. Lighting a small flame in his right hand, he found his way through easily and came out to fresh morning air. The sun was peeking over the horizon, as if shy to come on out in the Fire Lord's presence. Zuko made some lefts and rights, walked half a mile perhaps, and arrived at an ordinary building housing an extraordinary person. He stepped in and found a seated lady scrawling something on a piece of paper. Without looking up, she drawled, "Hospital's closed for the next hour. Please come later."

Zuko cleared his throat loudly, and the lady looked up. When recognition crossed her, she looked absolutely flustered. "Oh, yes, Fire Lord Zuko, my dearest apologies. Is there anything you need? I-"

He held up his hand, stopping her little tirade. "Take me to my sister, Azula," ordered Zuko.

"Yes, of course. She's been in a bad condition lately, extremely volatile with shouting and sobbing. It seems as if she's starting to remember her past, and it's not the good, happy child she was. Are you sure you can handle it? Her mere strength has already injured some of our employees."

Zuko gave her a Fire Lord look that quieted the front lady of the Fire Nation's best mental hospital. Wordlessly, they arrived at her room. Despite all the reassurances he gave himself, Zuko still found his heart pounding wildly in his chest when he came face-to-face with the door. It was slightly ajar, and with a small push, he found Azula staring out the window.

Azula had not just remembered an itty bit of her past; she had gotten it _all_. A few days ago she had 'woken up,' so to speak, and it just _hit_ her. Hit her hard. It was like a stampede, tons of moose-lions running over her and inflicting the cruelest pain. It was so much that her head just exploded. She realized she had been senseless for a year now. Then the feelings of fury, betrayal, hurt, angst, jealousy, smugness, despondency, and a hundred times more came flooding into her. Yet there were emotions that she never felt. Joy, pride, contentment, relaxation. Such things were merely dreamed of when she was supposed to be Fire Lord.

_It_ had begun when she was staring out the window, scanning the meadows blankly. Then she glimpsed a flashback with her and a little boy. No, he was older by two years. How she knew that, it was a mystery; but they were scurrying around, chasing butterflies. Their giggles turned into laughter, which soon became uproar as they both clutched their stomachs and rolled around in the wild grass and tiger lilies. Then she caught his face and remembered his name, something that had then and there changed her life forever.

Zuko.

_Zuko_.

The word felt foreign on her tongue as she mouthed it, then more memories started trickling from deep in her subconscious. Then she felt a long-lost emotion, but instead of brushing it aside as usual, she focused on it until she could define it.

_Love_.

Then came another word with it.

_Trust_.

As soon as she thought that, the gate that had imprisoned all those memories shot open, and they hurtled out freely into her mind. She could see, smell, taste, hear, and touch everything she had in those recollections. As more and more filled the empty spaces, the more confused and fearful she became, going from the tranquil state of nothing to a bewildered beast, left with ten times more questions then answers.

So she turned to Zuko, her brother, the one who stole her prize, the throne. Maybe he would have the answers. Holding down her contempt, she asked him with surprising smoothness, "Hello, ZuZu, come to visit me at last?"

Although she didn't bother to look back, Azula could tell it was he by the way he stiffened when she mentioned his nickname.

"Yeah." Zuko mentally cursed himself; he should have come prepared for her.

"Do you remember me?" She more or less stated this rather than asked this, but it was so simple and unexpected that Zuko had to pause and think.

"Yes. I do. I remember you, too." The exchange was so awkward it nearly made his head explode. With a sigh, he continued, "Do you remember your past?"

"Do I remember? _Do I remember?_" She howled madly and began furiously, "Of course I remember. More than you, _Zuzu_. Or should I say Fire Lord Zuko? You and that water tribe peasant beat me. Father was gone, his whole identity nearly taken away by the _Avatar_. I was chained, sent to a hellhole, not a _facility_, and had gone mindless for nearly a year. You stole my throne all that time. You stole everything I worked for. You stole my identity. And you didn't even give a _shit_."

Zuko visibly winced. It was rare for Azula to curse; after all, she was Ozai's precious but lethal little girl. She was Father's goody-goody, but no one else's.

When the truth of her words settled in, it was as if he had been slapped. It was all entirely right. He had dishonored her, in a sense, and he didn't wish that on his worst enemy, not even his sister, a cruel, bitchy monster. What scared him the most is that she almost seemed sane, aside from that maniacal spark in her eyes and that low growl coming from her. If she was sane, then she could be released…Zuko decided not to follow down that dark path.

"Remember your banishment, Zuzu?" she asked in a sickeningly sweet tone. "I hope so, because you're about to get another scar on your face!"

She dove wildly at Zuko's general direction and made a wild grab for his face. The formerly banished prince easily slid out of the way, behind his sister. Azula twisted and tried it again, but with no avail.

"Azula, I'm not going to fight you."

This time she tried a spinning kick, but Zuko ducked and her heel swung harmlessly through the air. She crouched and let out a fierce, almost animal snarl.

"I said I'm not going to fight you."

Azula tried a series of jabs, vaguely reminiscent of Ty Lee's attack style. Zuko blocked each one of them, then slipped into a gap in Azula's defense. With a hard enough blow from the heel of his palm, Zuko knocked her down and seized his little sister's arms and legs.

The Fire Nation princess struggled mightily, but Zuko was heavy and strong, so there was no point in attempting to escape. Softly, he murmured, "I'm not going to fight you, Azula."

She stopped flailing and glanced up at her older brother. Hidden in his words, Azula could feel the love from him, the affection that bound them together so long ago. Before she could stop it, pools of tears formed in her eyes. She sniffled, and immediately Zuko let his guard down, loosening up on her limbs. Normally this would be a surprise attack for her, but she was feeling genuine emotion, and she hated it. The sharp pang in her chest, the uncontrollable tears, the burning face, the stuffy nose, and all the guilt and sorrow that came with it. Azula ordered herself to stop, but for this one time, it didn't work.

Through her tears, she could see Zuko from her blurred peripheral vision kneeling next to her. Slowly and a bit uncomfortably he reached out and began to pat her back lightly. A moan escaped her lips and she fell into his chest, crying silently. Perhaps an hour had passed, with various waves of silent sobbing and howls and nose-blowing, but her sniffling and shuddering had gradually decreased until she was just snuggled into Zuko's arms. He took his arms off and rose, helping Azula up.

Her breathing had evened out, and she appeared more or less fine. But it was the inside that was damaged, and it was her heart that needed mending.

"Zuko?" Finally, Azula had used his name.

"Mm?"

"I-I think I'm broken. And I don't think I can be fixed."

He was at a loss for words. Speechlessly, Azula sat on a plush, crimson chair and stared intently at a wall. Zuko thought he saw tears welling up again, but they disappeared as quickly as they had emerged. The lady of this mental facility decided that this was too much for her and exited. After a moment, Fire Lord Zuko followed her.

In breakfast, he had no appetite. He ate mechanically, not bothering to taste the rich food prepared by the Fire Nation's finest chef. All he thought about was how he hoped the Earth King had received his message sent yesterday so Zuko didn't have to explain how he suddenly materialized in Ba Sing Se.

Then it was time for the transportation itself. As he walked over to Aang, Zuko could feel the knot in his stomach grow tighter and tighter until he thought it was going to snap. As he did with Katara, Aang placed one hand on Zuko's head and the other on Zuko's chest. The airbender shut his eyes, calling upon his "freak bending" (as Sokka had called it). His arrows flickered not white this time, but a light blue. Zuko could feel the energy pulsing from Aang, and even felt it flowing through his veins. Then he felt an odd sensation, with chills running down his back. His spirit was wrenched up, and Zuko could feel himself, his essence, speeding towards the east a hundred times faster than Appa. The vast, azure sea stretched below him. Ships were tiny dots that disappeared in the blink of an eye. _It wasn't the ships_, he thought. It was him, being pulled to Ba Sing Se at a breakneck speed. Then he saw rugged mountains _whoosh_ right past him, and the land got flatter and drier as he saw desert, but that was gone in a matter of milliseconds.

Ba Sing Se stood, a giant looming fortress that was becoming impenetrable once more. The walls had been restored, and the banner of the Earth Kingdom was hanging proudly in the front. He felt himself descending into the largest city of the largest nation before another force grabbed him.

The force was colder, Zuko decided. Aang's force felt warm, familiar. But this one had an ominous feel to it, like what he had experienced – the chills down his back. Zuko felt himself being dragged upward by this mysterious power, but then taken down to Ba Sing Se by Aang. Then another up from this mighty force, but down again from Aang. Zuko found himself being tossed up and down. Then he felt Aang's energy seep away as this mystic force captured him. At Aang's speed, perhaps even faster, this _thing_ propelled him up, up, up. Looking below, he saw the map of his world, complete with a sparkling sea and landscape. There was no time to admire it though, as the force pushed him through a fog. He couldn't see several feet in front of him, but he surfaced, facing a faintly glowing stone gate. It was simple, but looking closer Zuko saw mysterious, unreadable symbols on the two pillars, topped with a simple semicircle that was crumbling apart.

Zuko felt two presences: the one that had dragged him to this towering gate, and another, that felt hot – fire hot. Agni, maybe? No…it couldn't be. But then, anything was possible in the world of the Avatar.

The atmosphere was tense, like a meeting room with hotheaded generals. Then, with an invisible shove, Zuko's essence tumbled into the stone gate's entrance.

The feeling was astounding. He felt as if he was burning, but it was cold, as if being hit with fire and water at the same time. There were prickles all over his skin, like needles and pinpoints were being stuck in there, drawn out, then jabbed into a different spot. Suddenly, his soul was floating, with voices and whispers coming up all around him. Zuko heard the 'Gaang,' then Mai, Ozai, and Ursa. Then there was one last cry from Azula, his sister.

"No!"

And then he was engulfed in a dazzling white light.

**AN: Azula doesn't really seem like the cursing type to me, but I used it for emphasis. Please tell me what you think – less than ten reviews from this chapter and it's discontinued. I don't care if you're a user on fanfiction or not. Every person who tells me their opinion – whether it's a simple "liked it" or "okay" or "that's bull" – is completely valued. I'll be trying to establish a more regular schedule from now on – every other week, but the chapter will be only half this length, k? So tuck this story in the back of your brain and come back somewhere in 2011, and there will be some chapters to enjoy. Got it? Good. Love ya!**

**NAN: What Loca said above is correct. Reviewing is important! I, personally, try to review as much as possible. For example, I reviewed for almost every chapter in Kris' Violet Rose's story, ****A Wicked X-Men Story****. So, please r&r, if not for yourselves, than do it for Loca. It's the only way she'll continue, and if she doesn't, I'll be sad, and no one likes it when I'm sad. So, yeah. Bi-bi! :-P**


	4. Chapter 3 A New World

**Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar, its characters, etc. In case I used someone's idea/characters, sorry, I didn't know. I don't read many OC fanfictions, but I'm starting to like them…**

**AN: Loca here. Sorry about the short chapter after such a long, epic one, but I may make it up to you. Maybe. Random fact about me: I play violin. I can play piano, but I quit years ago. I'm in chorus too but I'm no good at singing (but NAN is **_**amazing**_**). Anyway, readers, let's give IWW (ImaginetheWorldWicked) a turn here, shall we? And I think IWW will be her abbreviation/nickname. It's so much more convenient to type.**

**NAN: Alright, Loca, thanks for the intro (kidding! Mine is really extra!) Loca is **_**waaaay**_** modest. She's great at piano, and she can totally sing. Me, I'm not amazing, but I'm better than half the girls in chorus, but that's not saying much. Most are just there to gossip. I like IWW, too. It's got a certain ring to it. Alright, another random fact about Loca: She is a great laugh. She's way humorous (not that she'd admit it – once again she's modest). So with that, the story.**

Week 1, Day 1

After the radiant white light, Zuko landed on his ass. Hard.

He immediately leapt into a defensive stance, pivoting and facing peculiar objects. Nothing bounded onto him, but he didn't let his guard down. Cautiously, he crept toward a large cabinet-like thing, but it was made of polished steel. There were two handles on it; one for each 'cabinet.' The 'cabinet' on the top was smaller than the one below. Half curious and half wary, he reached for the lower handle and pulled, bracing himself for anything.

Fire Lord Zuko was met with a blast of cold air.

His automatic instinct was to show no mercy for this object, but he held back the impulse to burn it into cinders. Inside was…food? No, it certainly didn't look like food. He recognized some vegetables and fruits, plus small other items, but most of it seemed unidentifiable. Seriously, what the hell was "Gogurt"?

Zuko closed the lower layer and opened the top one. There was a blast of icy air with more mysterious foods on the shelves, mostly frozen dishes. There was something called pizza, flat bread with red paste and whitish yellow stuff sprinkled on top. It looked more like a weapon than a food. _Mai could probably smack this dead center in my face_, he thought wryly.

After closing the top 'door,' the firebender realized what this contraption's purpose was: keeping food cold, preventing germs from spreading. It was actually ingenious, now that he thought about it. Zuko decided to call it a cooler.

Not fearing this place anymore, the young Fire Lord examined all the machinery in the room. He took a step toward the contraption next to the refrigerator. It displayed the time – 10:34 am – but there were some numbers and other words beneath them. Zuko punched in the number five and hit 'start.'

The device hummed for five seconds, then beeped once, stating 'done.' _Done with what?_ Zuko thought. _Buzzing?_

The 'done' didn't stop blinking, which started to irritate the heck out of Zuko. _How do you turn the damned thing off?_

Aggravated, he stormed off to the next item, which seemed to be two things. On the bottom was a handle to pull down, which revealed a few metal sliding racks. The firebender shut the weird door, then stared at a few knobs above it. One was pointing at the number 350. Not bothering to wonder what that meant, Zuko pushed the 'on' button. Half a minute later, he felt lots of heat inside of this object. Amazing – a heater and a cooler. What kind of place was this?

Zuko pressed the 'off' button and looked back at the flashing 'done.' Damn, that was infuriating. Trying to ignore it, he scrutinized the small circles above the heater. On the right were four dials, each one indicating a different circle. Zuko tried twisting it both ways, but it wouldn't budge. He was already more than annoyed at that 'done' machine, and this made him crack. He twisted it so violently that the cap broke off with a loud _snap_.

"Shit."

The Fire Lord pressed it back on, but when he took his hand off, it hung loosely on the button. Giving up on it, he clutched a different dial. Through his anger, Zuko pushed it down and twisted. This time, it went, and sparks started flying. It startled him, and he leapt back several feet, instantly in a fighting stance. The sparks stopped and blue fire came up from the small circle.

_Blue_ fire.

Zuko knew that firebenders were capable of producing blue flames, but it took much more energy to do that than to produce orange ones. He stretched toward the blue blaze and took some, cupping it in his right palm.

Immediately he felt its life coursing through his veins. That and _power_. It felt almost addictive, having something much stronger than usual resting in his hands. He willed it to grow larger and tossed the ball from one hand to another. It was harder to control, but yet it seemed to flare with vivacity. Zuko decided that he rather like it. Maybe that was why Azula preferred it, with more power and energy.

He extinguished the flame and walked out of what was supposedly the kitchen. Right outside of the kitchen (which wasn't really a room, more like a section of a room) was a small table for eating. That was fair.

Next, about ten feet away, was a desk, full of supplies and an odd rectangular object. At first glance it didn't seem like much. As he neared, Zuko saw the word "Dell" on it. Dell? The only attribute he could pick out was that the item was made of metal. He lifted it up; it wasn't very heavy, even portable to an extent. On the side Zuko saw that there was a lid and bottom, but that was it. He tried prying it apart, but that didn't succeed. Inhaling deeply, he tried a similar concept to the oven. The little button seemed to be able to slide.

It worked, thankfully, without him burning the lid off. It was very plain, with a screen and a board with letters, numbers, symbols, and words written on each one. Towards the bottom was a black rectangle with three buttons underneath, plus a small blackish green pad between two letters. Running over it, the keys were smooth and easy to press, but what did this thing _do_?

Zuko closed the strange article and ventured on to other mysterious objects in his house. It would be a while before he got through them all. And that stupid machine flashing "done" hadn't stopped.

Suddenly, something materialized out of his peripheral vision. Fire Lord Zuko pivoted to face an appearing…

"Roku?"

What the hell was his Avatar great-granddaddy doing here?

"Zuko, it has been much too long since we last talked."

Last talked? What? But Roku's expression only grew weightier, and his liquid gold eyes aged a millennium. The folds and creases in his skin seemed like canyons that held great knowledge but the wrinkles were so delicate that they could just slip right off. Roku came in the form of the statue in his swallowed-up temple, deep crimson robes and gold insignia atop his head making him appear as royalty. A bluish hue enveloped him, showing his spirit form, but colors could still be seen.

Something was tickling the fringes of his mind when the former Avatar delivered those grave words. Every time he reached for that memory, it slithered under the cracks and evaded him. Maybe if Roku clarified, he could draw out that elusive reminiscence.

"Huh?" _What a creative response_, thought the Fire Lord.

Roku's taut mouth curved upward a bit, and he looked infinitely friendlier than before. "There is much to explain. But what I can tell you was that I had visited you when the Avatar was born. You were only three and thought that I was your grandfather, Azulon. I whispered stories of the Avatar every night until you slept, but I stopped visiting as you grew older. I was looking after Aang; the world rested in his hands, and I had laid a tremendous burden on him."

On the words "Grandpa Azulon," the memories came trickling back, more like a stream of consciousness rather than everything hitting him all at once. Avatars Yangchen, Kuruk, and Kyoshi. All their lives. Yangchen, going against her deep-rooted beliefs to better the world. Kuruk, so anguished by the loss of his wife that he set out to slay the Face-Stealer Koh but died trying. Kyoshi, with immense power and determination, creating an island away from Chin the Conqueror who had fallen to his doom in that process.

Then there was Roku's story. The previous Avatar murmured this story to him over the course of days, but he spoke of him as third person, and his tone was different. In the other ones, his voice was soothing, comfortable. In this one, he seemed a bit tense, even hinting some frustration. Why, the Fire Prince didn't know, but he wouldn't dare question "Grandpa Azulon." Impeccable conduct in front of Fire Lord Azulon had been taught sternly since Zuko could form coherent sentences. Nevertheless, Zuko found himself genuinely drawn to Roku's story and almost rooted for the Avatar before he realized that Avatar Roku was opposing Fire Lord Sozin. Still, the concept of betrayal at that age seemed impossible, inhuman, and unimaginable. It was only a decade later before that the very notion of betrayal had caused him excruciating sorrow and bitterness.

Only one question was at the forefront of his mind, however.

"Where am I?"

Fire Lord Zuko couldn't expect anything after experimenting with some strange contraptions, but the answer he received was surprising nonetheless. And Roku stated his answer as if his life depended on it. Not exactly comforting, but how many times had Zuko been in a life-or-death situation?

"Recall what happened to you before arriving here," he said. Zuko could remember every little detail of it: being whisked over the landscape, taken over by a mysterious, cold spirit, the endless tension before being thrust through a stone gate, and the chilling, prickly sensations before landing on his butt in a completely foreign location.

"It was not an accident, but Aang did not bring you here."

That much he could have figured out, but Zuko kept his mouth shut.

"The force that seized you was a spirit. No one knows which one, but he or she wanted you here. That gate is one of the few that remain in the Spirit World. Most have been destroyed because of the danger they can cause. These gates are portals between separate worlds and can only be reached through energybending. Once there, a gate guard must approve traveling to another world, usually an important spirit that has enough power to keep the gate active."

The Fire Lord nodded, half-believing, half-mistrusting. Yet answers were being provided, so he listened attentively.

"The gate you passed through had long been forgotten by many spirits. It was sealed hundreds of generations ago, prohibiting any spirit to go through. An old, powerful one must have remembered it, since recently the boulder that had blocked any to pass started to flicker – and it takes the power of countless Avatars to reactivate a dormant gate.

The spirit who reactivated the gate is now its guard, and a force brought you to him or her. The gate guard and other spirit had a heated argument before the guard finally shoved you in, probably because neither desired to continue quarrelling."

More nodding, but at this point Zuko was starting to sincerely believe his words. They were strange, almost inconceivable, but he felt a ringing sense of truth behind them.

"Spirits have a reason. They always have a reason when they do these things, but you may never know. Someone or something sent you here for a purpose, and at this point, you should feel honored. They are exceedingly picky on choosing in the event they need someone to, ah, send on a mission."

Something didn't feel right. At this point he should feel honored? Why him out of everyone else? He had a nation to govern, and this was the worst time to be stuck in some distant world. Zuko could only hope Iroh would temporarily take the throne.

"As for now, remain here until Aang fully recovers. It will take a few weeks for him to regain his strength. The immense amount of energybending he did could have killed him, but the Avatar survived the encounter with the unidentified spirit."

Wonderful. He was going to be stranded for several weeks in a remote place, and Zuko didn't even know where. Damn energybending.

"…Goodbye, Fire Lord Zuko."

Wait, what? He was so caught up in his thoughts that Roku was saying something…probably important, now that Zuko thought about it.

"Dammit." What now?

_Well_, he reasoned, _there's something out there_. _Every cloud has a silver lining, right?_

Time to explore.

**AN: Boring chapter. I know. Excuse? It's Columbus Day and Columbus was an asshole, so I get to be moody and write junk. :] The next few chapters will be kind of like this, not much action, but things will pick up and it'll be one hell of a ride. If you want romance-type stuff, check out my one-shot, The Triple Date, pairing is Tokka. The people who read it really enjoyed it, according to reviews AND it has been added to favorites twice now (maybe I'm just happy that some liked it)! WHOO!**

**NAN: Actually, about 6 people have added it to favorites. And yes, it **_**is **_**a great story, and I'm not even a real fan of the pairing. And I'm not a fan of Columbus, either. He was a terrible guy who got what he deserved (jail), in my opinion. Oh, and I know there are people reading this who think that Loca and I are the same person. That's just not true. If you look at my ****Hunger Games**** fic – 23****rd**** Games, 23 to Kill – you'll see our writing styles are completely different.**


	5. Chapter 4 Exploration

**Disclaimer: Don't own Avatar, but I do own my OC's.**

**AN: Loca here. Another boring chapter, but it's [kind of] important like the last one. Enjoy if you will. R&R, por favor.**

Day 1

Zuko dumped the items in his knapsack on his bed. He only had two sets of clothes in there, both commoners' dress. Suddenly, he heard a faint click, barely perceivable; curious, he dug to the bottom of the pile. The portrait of Azula he had taken with him opened, and a flimsy piece of paper fell out along with a tiger lily. It was crushed and withered, but a brilliant, vibrant scarlet color nonetheless, petals even softer than silk.

He recalled the day he handpicked this flower. It was the most beautiful in the field amongst dozens, grown to a perfect shape and was the most stunning shade, a bright, daring orange fringed with bloody red. Its fragrance was nearly untraceable, but it was honey-sweet and pleasant. He proudly displayed it to Azula, trying to show he wasn't good for nothing.

She was five, and Azula brushed it aside, threatening to burn it if Zuko didn't stop bothering her firebending practice. Nevertheless, Zuko preserved it in this portrait and forgot about it a few days later. As years passed, more recent memories buried that one deep into his subconsciousness. Yet oddly, the memory resurfaced almost effortlessly. Delicately, he placed the tiger lily back into the portrait and left the picture facedown on his nightstand.

The closet, one of the few items he was familiar with, slid open with a loud creak. Inside was about two weeks worth of clothes, ranging from a pleated, black suit to a hoodie and pairs of pants made of strange, rough material. One was rough and a dark blue, which wasn't the least bit flexible. The other swished every time it moved, and two stripes ran down the sides. Zuko glanced out of the window. Trees, beginning to turn the vivid reds and oranges, hung over passersby. One teenage boy was sporting similar clothes to what was in this odd selection of clothes. The firebender then picked out a short-sleeved shirt with a thick hoodie, then the pants of a blue-black, rough sandpaper-y material.

The clothes were surprisingly comfortable. He tossed the Earth Kingdom clothes to the bottom of the closet and picked out the snuggest shoes. They gave him a bounce in his steps and made it easier to run and jump. Zuko closed the closet and stared at himself in the mirror.

He didn't look half-bad, the firebender decided. It gave him a more casual look, and he wasn't against it. When he got back, he'd have to bring a suitcase of clothes to show the Gaang. _If_ he got back.

Now the final piece of his outfit: sunglasses. It was cloudy outside, but Zuko had no desire to attract attention to him, especially after becoming Fire Lord.

As soon as he walked out the door, a warm, balmy breeze met him. Great. Overdressed. So much for keeping a low profile.

He walked as others did, cool and leisurely, but he received some quizzical looks. The firebender strolled past the apartment complex and its mini mart, then reached the entrance. Strange…vehicles, Zuko guessed, whizzed by at 40, 50 miles an hour. People sat at the front left, holding a steering wheel and appeared calm, probably familiar with whatever was before their eyes. The metal gleamed when the Sun's rays hit the machine vehicle, and for an instant, blinded the firebender. The majority of the machines was sleek with cool colors – with the exception of a bright, puffing red one – and stopped at some light. Red to stop, green to go, yellow for…something. The system worked well. One row stopped, the other went, and no crashes occurred.

Zuko ambled left, ducking underneath a low-hanging branch, leaves a burnt yellow-green, as if the autumn winds had breezed by and left its mark behind. Wilting grass popped up in cracks of the rough, concrete sidewalk, like the tufts on the Mechanists' head. Which reminded him, what would the Mechanist do if he saw metal machines with four wheels, somehow powered to speed at over five times the speed of full-on sprinting? Well, he decided, probably he'd get himself run over by eagerly rushing onto the street for investigation. In other words, road kill.

The firebender kept going until he distinguished a colorful machine as he had seen on the streets, but it was a dark indigo and white with flamboyant golden letters declaring, "Police."

He tensed; wasn't that what some Earth Kingdom villages had? Police was a somewhat familiar term, something to do with guarding and enforcing laws. Zuko wasn't where he belonged, and all he knew was that in the Fire Nation, that could be a serious punishment. Willing himself to relax, Zuko walked purposefully, hoping that the police wouldn't notice anything unusual, just let him be.

Zuko had no such luck.

An officer climbed out of the vehicle, a bulky 200-pound frame for someone who stood at five feet, two or three inches. Even though a police cap covered his graying brown hair, Zuko could tell the police officer was having a bad hair day, seeing as it jutted out from the hat, like the grass from the sidewalk cracks, and stuck out in random corners. The officer crossed his arms, flexing his muscles – or flab, but it was a lot – as if he were wooing a teenage girl instead of interrogating a male teenager. A round, protruding belly stuck out over a belt with several tools or weapons and pleated navy pants. Faint wrinkles and bags lined his face, and Zuko guessed he was around his mid to late thirties. The officer's mouth was drawn tight, and he had a visible double chin that jiggled as he strutted over to where the firebender stood.

"You. Playing hooky or are you a dropout?" If the man a head shorter was afraid, he was good at masking it. Zuko remained speechless and stiffened the slightest. The policeman seemed to notice by raising an eyebrow.

"Hello? Anyone there are you just another airhead from high school?"

The subdued fire in Zuko's eyes sparked a bit. Was that all it took to ignite the Fire Lord's anger? Not a good sign.

"No," he replied awkwardly. "I mean, uh, yeah." Zuko glanced down at the officer's shoes. Spotless, shining, and laces tied into a neat knot.

"You mean…what?" The man's eyes narrowed the slightest, as if he expected an answer. Suspicion flashed through his eyes, a tiny glint before that weight on his eyes was taken off. Zuko found his stomach twisting a bit. He was unnerving, to say the least.

"Listen here, buddy, I gotta a friend who's a truancy officer. That means he finds kids who ditch school. How old are you, son?" Another flash of suspicion.

"Seventeen." The firebender met the other man's intimidating gaze.

"You could have legally dropped out…where do you live, son?"

Zuko pointed to the general direction of the apartments but didn't say a word.

"Apartment complex? I don't think any dropout would live close to the high school. You have no stuff with you at this point…you're not late for school." The officer sighed. "It's not even my job, truancy. Or finding ditchers. Paul Blart can do that." The man smiled sardonically. Seeing Zuko's puzzled expression, he said, "what, no _Mall Cop_? Best comedy of our decade. Rent it, son."

Zuko nodded, feeling like a dumb animal.

"_Mall Cop_. Seriously. You've _never_ heard of it?"

Zuko was unresponsive, unsure how to act.

"Anyways, my shift's over in a few. Wait here, I'll give you a ride to the school and report you. Goes on your permanent record, you know. Ivy League dreams are gone now."

Another dumb-animal nod.

The officer rolled his eyes, as if the teenager in front of him were a model of all the other high school students. Ten, fifteen minutes later, the police officer gestured him over to the multi-colored police vehicle. "Get in the car, son. Ain't rocket science."

Zuko's eyebrows furrowed for a second, and he almost asked what rocket science was. He decided against it and ignored the policeman's words, sticking to whatever he did.

No more than five minutes later, the car, as the officer had called it, arrived at a large complex. Though smaller next to the Fire Nation Palace, the building itself was quite large. Chipped, dirt-strewn brick stretched for three floors, and assuming each room on the outside had a window, there must have been hundreds of classrooms in there. Zuko could feel the heat inside the area; a rough estimate was fifteen hundred people.

"Here we are, son. Stay behind me. The office ladies have to get down your…absence. Fun."

Zuko nodded and remained emotionless. But inside, thoughts whirred inside of his head. Where was he? Yeah, a high school, but where was this place? Alternate world was a bit vague. And school buildings had never been this large with so many students and teachers. And cars, the items in his apartment. What were those?

"Son, take off those aviators. Look me in the eye, and the counselor especially. Don't think you can mask yourself. She doesn't like that."

Zuko realized he was talking about the glasses he had on. _Aviators_, he speculated, _why are they called _that?

"Um," he faltered. "Can I keep them on?"

The officer glared at him. "Did you hear what I just said? Come on, you're not even allowed to wear them in class. I mean, if you'd like to face the counselor's wrath…"

The policeman's words had no effect on Zuko. "I'm keeping them on. Sir."

The officer straightened at the word "sir." Now he might have been 5' 4, but no more. "Get them off," he ordered. "Don't make me take them off for you."

Zuko could sense the man's heat level rise the slightest. "No, sir."

"Off. Now."

"No."

"_Now_."

Both inhaled sharply. "Okay," the firebender complied grudgingly, "I'll take them off. But just please don't…"

"What?"

"You'll see," he replied half mysteriously, half matter-of-factly.

Slowly, warily, Zuko reached up and pulled them off. The policeman attempted a smile, but it came out more as a cross between a grimace and a leer. A long, tense silence hung over them until the elder broke the ice.

"Well, you're a beauty."

Resignedly, he replied, "I know."

Compared to the maze in the Fire Nation palace (and at one point, it was renovated, giving Zuko one hell of a headache), the school was a simple, easily navigable building. Classrooms on both sides of the hall. Stairwells at intersections. Simple enough.

The main office was small. Far smaller than any throne room, just an area full of other strange objects, but different from the ones at his apartment. Several elderly ladies were staring at bright screens, hunched over. One had a wispy puff of white hair and half-moon spectacles while another was young, in her early thirties, brunette hair pulled back into a tight bun and had killer heels. She looked like the no-nonsense type of woman. Her mouth was drawn into a straight line, and hints of wrinkles lined the corners. If she didn't look so uptight and menacing, she could have passed as pretty. She didn't look up from her screen and said wearily, "Another ditcher, officer?"

The policeman stood up a bit straighter and smiled stiffly. "Yes, madam. I'm here to drop him off. He was walking conspicuously through the neighborhood when I caught him, and my shift for directing the traffic at a very busy intersection was over. Being the nice person I am, I volunteered to drop him off personally, although I have matters to attend to. Now, if you'll excuse me-"

"I'll take it from here," the secretary replied, a subtle edge in her voice. Those two must have had a history.

The police officer nodded and briskly strode out the door, arms pumping like Sokka in his "Wayne Fire" disguise (that had caused quite a stir when he marched into a council in his full disguise, attempting to appear serious. Needless to say, his plan did not work.).

The secretary finally glanced up and let out an involuntary gasp. She quickly straightened and cautiously asked, "Last name?"

Zuko shifted his weight onto his other foot and reluctantly answered, "Er…Li."

After a short bit of typing, she said, "Senior?"

"Yeah." At least the school system was similar.

"David Li? No, I know him. There aren't anymore Li's in the grade. Are you in the database?"

"No. I don't know."

"Hmm…looks like Officer Thompson made a mistake." She paused, then added somewhat accusingly, "again."

Zuko didn't test her point and stood there uncomfortably. He had always been inept and graceless in these situations. In contrast, Azula excelled at this.

"So, uh…" she prompted.

"Zuko."

"Yes. Zuko. Are you enrolled in our school?"

"No. I don't know." He must have sounded really smart.

"Well, you can certainly enroll, but we need your parent or guardian to come here and discuss options for you. We need your previous school records, physical records, and so forth. There's a lot of paperwork involved. We have registering dates…oh, you're a bit past—only by two weeks, unfortunately—but we'd be happy to accommodate."

"So…can I enroll?" It was better to go to school than stay at home with those strange machines. Plus, he was eager to know what this world was like. Maybe it wasn't so different.

The lady sighed exasperatedly; nothing had gone through the teenager's head. "Yes. But we need to make an appointment with your parent or guardian and get through paperwork."

Okay, so maybe the enrolling-in-school idea was a bit screwed, but Zuko could try making it happen. "My father is…a very busy man. _Very _busy. My mother…has disappeared. I'm not sure if I could bring my father in or not, but is there a possible way to, uh, do this without bringing him in? It's just easier for us."

Her facial features softened. "Hm. I'm still new, but I think it's possible. Here, in this packet, we need the signature of your father in several areas. We need your school records, too, and physical exams and immunization records from your family physician. There's also a textbook fee and other things, but it'll all be clear once you go through this packet."

"Sure." Whatever those things are, the firebender could find it. Hopefully.

"Well, I hope to see you here at our family soon. Lincoln High always welcomes new students. I'm the counselor for the seniors here, and it's always a pleasure to work with new students. Take care."

She plastered a smile that could pass as warm, but it was false, like the Joo Dee's at Ba Sing Se. The felicity had not quite reached her eyes, which were a bit reddened, like she needed sleep badly. Zuko could relate—being Fire Lord meant endless late night partying and a mountain of paperwork.

Zuko hobbled out of the room without glancing back. Joo Dee's were just as scary as his father.

After fifteen minutes of walking, he reached his apartment. He spread the packet across the table; it was fairly thick, probably forty pages or so. It had everything—needed school records, required immunization records, necessary physical exams, general information, peer leaders program, extracurricular activities, tips on homework and studying, a map of the school, and enough facts and figures to rival Fire Nation paperwork.

His mind was boggled down, and the firebender faked his father's signature, one after another, until he finally wrote out a consent letter.

Leaflet after leaflet. Words drifted and danced on the page, and when the clock was nearing one in the morning, Zuko unceremoniously collapsed onto his bed and was away in dreams within five seconds.

The firebender immediately felt as if he were intruding someone else's dream. It was a hunch – a strong one, too. However, it seemed a bit fuzzy and soft in his peripheral vision, unlike the usual crystal-clear sharpness he had in dreams. Although there was no sound, something seemed to be buzzing in his head, like a warning to leave or face consequences.

_Two figures battled in the distance, hundreds of meters away. They were blurred and undistinguishable, and both were engaged in what appeared to be an Agni Kai. One sent deep, deep blue—nearly purple—that seemed to overpower the other's light blue flames. They were a sky blue, a lighter hue than Azula's and seemed to be less controlled than the other's deadly precision. Something dark flashed above the duel, but when Zuko peered above, he stared at the bright, blinding sun. _Strange_, he thought. He looked in closer, squinting and focusing his vision. Although his eyes revealed nothing, his gut wrenched, as if forewarning him that a more sinister force was at work, like the two combatants were puppets and he was the one pulling the strings. No matter how hard he tried, Zuko couldn't shake that feeling of dread._

_Zuko tried to step forward, but a force had stopped him. It was undoubtedly that sadistic force, so he could only watch. Judging by the fires, the one with sky blue flames had begun to weaken. His or her fire had seemed to diminish over time, and was coming less frequently than before. Meanwhile, the other's blue-purple ones had grown stronger, more powerful, and aggressive. Zuko watched as the other was overpowered and ultimately forced to his or her knees. The more powerful one backed up and began to jog, run, then sprint, using flames to propel him or her at an extraordinary speed. The one lying on the ground seemed to lose fighting spirit and didn't move. Blue-purple flames were arising steadily, increasing in force, until he or she was 20, 10 feet away. And then, the mysterious person leapt into the air gracefully, bringing the dark, lethal flames together to deliver the final, deathly blow._

**AN: My (failed) attempt at a cliffhanger…yeah. I tried to make up for that month-and-a-half without any added chapters. Schedules just don't work for me. Anyways, Zuko's going to high school! I really don't know the enrollment process, so forgive me if I'm utterly wrong. I tried. So, these long, off-topic AN's will be at the end of the story now. Someone mentioned that it took away from the story—so if you just want to get on with the story, by all means, go on. This part only talks about random stuff. But if you like that kind of thing, then feel free to read this. Also, I'm going away for the whole winter vacation, so sorry, no chapters until next year. I'll get the next one posted at the end of January (hopefully). But no guarantees (which means expect it at March). This time, I'll let IWW tell you something about me. I'll accept/deny it next chapter (which I have actually begun writing. It's really rough right now, but whatever.).**

**NAN: Well, now that I have been given the great priviledge of introducing Loca, I have decided to just put it on my profile. Check it (soon...ish) for her's. Anywho, reviews are _amazingly_ apreciated. I know, since I have to hear about everyone. So, r&r. Oh, and MERRY CHRISTMAS! _And a happy New Year!_ Unless you don't celebrate. In that case, just happy new year. And don't let my views ruin the story. I have nothing to do with it.**


	6. AN

Okay, fans, sorry to get your hopes up. This isn't a chapter, unforunately. This is an author's note, and a very important one at that.

So...Loca has informed me, ImagineTheWorldWicked, that she feels that she can't write for this story anymore. She's been so busy, she barely has time to write anything else. And this story has been a lot of effort with her.

So I told her we have 3 options: continue with **very** slow updates, put it on haitus, or...

put it up for adoption.

We've decided on the last one. But, if no one adopts it, it will be put on haitus.

So, if anyone wants to adopt the story, or knows someone who does, or whatever, send me a pm or review, and we'll take care of everything.

Once again, I'm sorry for all the fans of this story out there. But sometimes these decisions have to be made.

And now I'm sounding like I'm breaking up with someone. Wow...that's super awkward.

So, I guess this is good-bye for now. Please, do review, though. If you tell Loca how much you enjoyed the story, and that you're heartbroken and such, she might be persuaded to keep going with this. So it's up to you.

Until then,

ImagineTheWorldWicked (and Loca, too.)


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